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WICHITA, Kansas – Fireworks can either be a joy, or they can be a pain.

None the less, the Fourth of July will soon be here, and there is no doubt that some are eager to light up the night.

“My daughter was born on the July Fourth so she expects fireworks,” said Lisa Ash.

As you head to the nearest stand, there are some things you should know especially if you live within Wichita city limits.

“Can’t go higher than six feet in the air, they cant explode or admit flaming balls into the sky, they’re not allowed to blow up.”

Fire Chief Brad Crisp says the law dates back past the 1980s.

It was after several homes caught fire.

More than 30 years later, no one thought to change the law despite the difficulty of enforcing it.

“It may sound easy to catch somebody in the act with them using illegal fireworks, but it’s not as easy as you think. First, we have to prove it’s illegal, have to prove it was in your possession, and third, we have to prove you were using it,” said Crisp.

The rule of thumb is buy where you shoot, but that’s another problem officials have when trying enforcing the law.

“There are places in Wichita you can literally go across the street and go to a fireworks then that’s in the county. It looks like it’s in the city. It’s right across from their neighborhood. They assume it’s in the city,” added Crisp.

Crisp didn’t deny that there needs to be some changes to the law.

Right now, the fire department is asking people to take their survey in hopes it could the start.